Buckle.



PATENTED APR, 7, 1903.

H. K BRNGOOE BUGKLE. Aprfimwnon mun MAY; 5,, mom.

.IO MODEL.

or other article to the buckle.

UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HER AN KERNeoon-or BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

BUCKLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 724,586, dated April 7, 1903.

Application filed May 5, 1902. Serial No. 105,962. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HERMAN KERNGOOD, a citizen of the United States,-residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Buckles, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings."

My invention relates to buckles, and more particularly to that class of buckles in which a movable clamp is used in connection with a buckle-frame to hold the end of the strap In the use of many devices of this character it has been an objection that it is necessary in securing the strap to the buckle,which is done by pass- .ing the strap through the buckle and then back between the clamps and the buckle, so that the strap is doubled upon itself, that the lined or what is usually known as the wrong side must be presented outward, thus giving an objectionable appearance to the strap. My invention aims to provide means to obviate this objection and at the same time to enable the'clamp to be readily released from pressure upon the strap or other attached article.

To these ends myinvention consists of the means hereinafter described,and particularly pointed out in the claim.

The device is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plain View of the buckle with the ends of the strap or straps attached thereto; Fig. 2, an edge view of the buckle with the straps in place thereon; Fig. 3, a plan view of the buckle with the straps removed; Fig. 4, a plan view of the pivoted clampframe removed from the buckle, and Fig. 5 an edge View of the said clamp-frame.

Referring to the drawings, a designates a buckle-frame,preferably of rectangular construction, provided with side bars I) and a front bearing cross-arm c at the front end of said frame. The buckle is provided at its base or rear portion with a hood or cover (1, forming a socket for the clamp. The

clamp-frame e is pivotally mounted in this socket by means of the cross-projecting arm f, on oneside of the clamping frame, and the bent-in portions g at the ends of the'piece. forming the frame, on the opposite side of the frame, also forming a cross-projecting arm. This clamp-frame consists of a single piece of strong wire or sheet metal bent or stamped into the required form. From its pivoted portionthe side bars of the clamp-frame are bent at an angle, forming on each side thereof bars h 2', which thus form a frame similar in shape to a double bell-crank lever. The pivots of the clamp have a slight movement longitudinally of the frame, in order to permit the clamping action between the clamp frame and the buckle-frame against the attached strap to be obtained. The side bars h of the clamp-frame extend to near the ends of the buckle-frame and are connected by a cross-arm j, forming an open uninterrupted slot through the clamp-frame. This crossarm is adapted to cooperate with the crossarm of the buckle-frame to clamp the attached strap. The side bars Iare connected by means of cross-bar k, forming an open uninterrupted slot through the clamp-frame, which serves as a keeper for the free end of the strap, as hereinafter described. Owing to the angle at which the arms h t' extend, the keeper-arm k is in a different plane from that of the front part of the clamp-frame formed by arms h and j.

In use one strap or one end of the belt or bandis permanently attached by sewing or otherwise to the base portion carrying the socket d. To attach the other strap or other end of the belt or band to the buckle, the la ter is then passed up through the buckle and within the cross-armj of the clam p-frame and then carried back between the cross-arm of the clamp-frame and the cross-arm of the buckle-frame and down under the latter and back upon the strap. When so arranged, the strap will be tightly clamped between the cross-arms of the clamp and the buckle-frame by the tension of the strap or belt.

In the drawings, 00 denotes the permanently-attached strap, y the free end to be clamped, and z a lining upon the strap. It will be seen, however, that in this position of the strap the wrong side thereof will be outermost, which in the case of trouserstraps provided with a lining, as 2, will present an unsightly appearance. In my invention, however, after the end of the strap has been thus clamped it is carried back over the front cross-arms of the buckle-frame and the clamp-frame and then over the hood (1 and under the keeper-arm it, by which it will be retained in place, although not clamped there 5 by. It will be seen that in this last-named position of the strap the same will have the right side thereof presented outermost. To release the clam ping pressure upon the strap, the cross-arm 7c is pressed downward toward the buckle, whereupon the opposite crossarm of the clamp will be raised, so as to release its pressure upon the strap, and thereupon the strap can be easily Withdrawn.

It will be noted that in the clamped position both ends of the strap are then found passed up between the front bearing-arm and the rear part of the frame.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- In a buckle, in combination with a main frame, a clamp-frame, said main frame provided with a front bearing cross-arm and with a rear cross portion having a socket-hood for the clamp member, said clamp member consisting of a single integral piece and having only two cross-arms, one adapted to cooperate with the front bearing-arm of the main frame and the other forming a keeper-arm,

said cross-arms of the clamp-frame being in different planes and at the ends of side bars which meet at an angle and are pivoted at said meeting-point in the socket-hood of the main frame, said side bars having cross projections therefrom only at the ends thereof as set forth, and at said pivotal point, leaving an open and uninterrupted slot through the clamp-frame and main frame between the front cross-arm of the clamp-frame and the socket-hood, and between the socket-hood and the keeper-arm, whereby one end of the strap or other attached goods may be permanently fastened over the socket-hood and the free end of the strap or other attached goods may be passed up between the front crossarms and the hood portion and carried back between the front cross-arms of the main frame and clamp-frame and thereby clamped and then turned over the buckle and carried under the keeper-arm so as to present the right side out, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HERMAN KERNGOOD. Witnesses:

WM. II. II. RALEIGH, WM. II. BLAMBERG. 

